A Fairy's Tale
by Ascaisil
Summary: Why was Evergreen allowed to join the Raijinshuu? Because she's more powerful than people realize. One-shot (probably) to explain how the Raijinshuu came to have a female in their midst. Family/friendship, no pairings


AN: When I first went through the Raijinshuu's introduction I remember thinking "that girl _clearly_ has more than two types of magic." And then, on Tenrojima, they talk about how small a percentage of mages there are and I was just like "How does nobody else notice that Evergreen is like, _uber_ powerful?" And thus came into the word...this.

I must apologize for this for a few reasons. Reason one: I haven't posted anything in...a very long time. I got depressed over a situation that happened with a different story of mine (which I take full responsibility for) and had resolved that I wouldn't ever post again unless I had the full story already written out. Because I truly hated disappointing my readers...which leads to my second reason. Two: I had fully intended this to be a one shot, I want to make that clear! But somehow, as always seems to happen to me, the story started to get away from me and I could see many potential situations that would be enjoyable and/or fluffy to write. _But_! I have at least made sure that this story/chapter could be left as a stand alone; at the end of this it _could_ be complete, or it _could_ go on. Therefore, I don't feel so guilty about putting it up.

Third thing I think I should throw out, if this _does_ end up being a multi-chapter story I would like to clearly state now that I _adore_ Evergreen and Elfman. So much. So if this continued it would invariably end up with them together. If you don't like them (though _really_ how can you not? At best I could understand indifference, but actually _not liking them together_?! Inconceivable!) this is your warning now. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Three young mages from Fairy Tail were on their way to complete a request for their Guild. Rather unfortunately for them they had already gotten lost -twice, though Freed insisted the first time didn't count because they had been traveling along the train tracks (they couldn't actually _take_ the train due to Laxus' secret motion sickness problem.) and they had had to detour around a river. Because of this they were already several hours into their quest and still nowhere near the town they were meant to be in; furthermore, they were all tired, hungry, and becoming increasingly _cold_ as the sun was finishing it's journey for the day and was sinking beyond the trees.

It looked very much like they would be stuck camping tonight, and they were ill prepared for it.

Which is why, when Laxus first spied the minuscule light of an open flame, the boys had made their way towards the stranger's camp.

There were only two of them, a man and a girl.

Not willing to just _trust_ a couple of strangers the mages had held back for a few minutes to observe; the man was whittling sticks then skewering bits of meat and setting them above the flame to cook. The girl was making a tidy pile of firewood beside him to ensure they would remain warm for the night.

"C'mon man." Bixlow murmured. "I'm _so cold_! Let's just see if we can sit with them for a bit!"

Freed remained silent, awaiting his leader's decision, but the dragonslayer couldn't just _pretend_ he couldn't see the other teen shivering.

"Okay-" He started to say when the stranger's voice suddenly rose so they could hear him.

"If you three want, you are free to join us. We have room and it's starting to get pretty damn cold out here!"

It's not like they _jumped_ ; they were just _surprised_.

Frowning, Laxus led his small group forward.

"How'd you know we were there?" He asked belligerent.

Bix was already holding his hands out to the fire and he gave a little whine that Laxus interpreted to mean "If we get into a fight we won't get to sit and get warm!" so he did his best to moderate his tone and add, "It _is_ pretty cold tonight."

The man gave them a slight smile and waved his hand to encompass their small camp.

"Go ahead and sit, food will be done in a while." Then he turned to the girl and said, "Ever, would you get the cups out please? These guys look frozen!"

It didn't escape the lightning mage's attention that his question wasn't answered.

But Freed and Bixlow had already sat and so their leader joined them -not quite as reluctantly as the warmth of the camp fire began seeping into his boots and feeling began returning to his feet.

"Here."

His attention turned to the girl; she was slim but pretty well developed -for a kid. If he had to guess he'd put her age between thirteen and fifteen. Her thick hair was dark in the night, but with his superior eyesight he could tell it was closer to a chestnut brown. Her eyes looked black but the flickering firelight reflected red and gold so he guessed they were probably brown too; they were behind a pair of oval glasses and she never looked at any of them head on.

"Here." She said again, a little more impatiently, and he took the tin cup she held out to him. It was already pretty hot, and his nose told him she was giving them some kind of tea. Gross.

But it was cold as _fuck_ out here, so he drank it regardless.

"What brings you boys out to such a remote place?" The man questioned in a gentle tone.

Freed looked at him but Laxus just shook his head.

"Business." He said curtly.

"Ah." The man didn't pry more and for a few second -as the girl finished giving cups to all of them- there was silence.

"You should have worn warmer clothes."

Laxus' brow forked down over his eyes at the girl's critical tone.

"We didn't intend to be out so late." Freed supplied diplomatically.

"Ah," The man said again. "Caught out without supplies. That's rough." His tone wasn't judgemental but the girl snorted, pricking his irritation again.

"I'm Evergreen."

The lightning mage's eyes slid over her again; she had sat beside her companion and was watching them over the rim of her cup with serious eyes. It didn't even sound like she wanted to know _their_ names, more like she just wanted them to know _hers_.

"I am Freed." The script mage introduced them anyway. "This is Laxus, and this is Bixlow."

He gestured to each in turn and the man's eyebrow rose.

"Looks like you've got the mark of a Guild there." He said easily. "Are you mages?"

Freed shifted, probably a bit unnerved because the man too didn't _sound_ like he was quizzing them, and yet it was clearly a question. He was weird.

"Yes." He said a little shortly. "We are."

The man nodded and drank more from his cup.

"Was in a Guild once," He commented. "Didn't suit though, and then my daughter was born," He nodded his head at the girl who was still watching them with an almost unnervingly straight gaze -which was impressive considering she still wouldn't look any of them right in the eye. "So I had to find something else."

"Ah." Freed, usually so much better than the others at dealing with people, seemed to be floundering.

"Our Guild is _bitchin_ ' though." Bixlow interrupted, probably to rescue his friend from his own awkwardness. "We're the strongest team." He boasted.

"Some are." The man agreed. "What's the name of your Guild?"

Laxus knew Bix didn't care all that much for the Guild itself; the seith mage was just in it because he and Freed were. But he still puffed up his chest like he was proud and said, "Fairy Tail."

" _Fairy_ Tail?" The girl's eyes glowed. "I want to join!"

The three mages were immediately taken aback.

"What?!" Bixlow frowned down at her. "You can't just join a guild 'cause you like it's _name_."

The girl frowned too and flipped her thick brown hair off her shoulder.

"Can too. I can do anything I want, right daddy?" She gave an imploring look at the man beside her.

Laxus rolled his eyes. What a spoiled brat.

"Well," The man was saying with a smile. "At any rate, why don't you three stop here for the night? You're tired and cold and we've got plenty of food. I'd welcome the company."

' _I'll bet_.' The lightning mage thought; if this guy was traveling with only his daughter it was no _wonder_ he would welcome other company. Also, he couldn't help but notice the guy had dodged yet _another_ question. He really was _weird_.

Since he was the leader the other two looked to him. He didn't like strangers, but they _were_ tired...and he was confident he could deal with it if these two tried anything during the night. Besides, they were all cold and weren't likely to find better under the circumstances.

"Yeah, okay." He said reluctantly.

The man nodded and threw a few more sticks on the low fire.

"Ever, would you mind?"

Without a response the girl lifted her hand and greenish gold dust glittered in her palm; almost negligently she tossed the ball and it exploded onto the sticks, re-igniting the dying fire. Humph, if he thought showing off her magic was somehow impressive he had another thing coming.

Bixlow made a sound that could have been a snicker.

"Think you're a mage, just 'cause you can do a little magic?" He said in a mostly teasing way.

The girl raised one thin eyebrow and gave him a cool look.

"I'm a mage." Her tone was fully confident. " _Because_ I have magic. That's what a mage _is_." She didn't add an insult to the end but anyone could hear the silent "idiot." lingering in her voice.

The seith mage frowned but Laxus made sure to knock his shoulder lightly to distract him. It wasn't worth arguing with some _kid_.

The taller teen backed down because his leader told him to, but he obviously didn't think much of the girl.

"We have extra blankets." The man interjected softly. "That you boys are free to use tonight."

"Why are you helping us?" The dragonslayer said bluntly. "We don't have anything to repay you with."

The man seemed to ponder this for a minute before speaking in a gentle tone.

"If everybody helped others a bit more without thinking about what they'd get out of it, I think the world would be a better place."

Then he looked directly at Laxus and smiled slightly.

"We're here, and we have what you need. Sharing it won't hurt us in any way, so why shouldn't we."

Really...what a weird guy. There would never _be_ a world where people did nice things for each other just because they could. Maybe one or two, (because grandpa was like that too,) but those kinds of people were rare.

So he shrugged.

"As long as you realize we have nothing to give you in return."

The man gave him a very peculiar smile.

"Sometimes the littlest thing can be just what a person needs." He said. "Never discount what your actions could mean to someone else."

It sounded like he was referring to himself; he had what they needed and by letting them stay at his camp he had saved them all a night of cold misery, but for some reason Laxus didn't think that was what he was talking about.

* * *

The girl had gotten blankets when her father asked, but then she had turned her back on them, curled up in her own fleecy covering, and immediately went to sleep.

Bixlow and Freed had also bedded down -though they'd never in a million years admit that they were snuggling; they weren't attracted to each other or anything like that. They were just _comfortable_ with each other, and didn't have the normal taboos some folks had about men and what was "appropriate."

Laxus was fully prepared to defend their actions if the man said anything about it -but was at a bit of a loss when nothing was said. Not even a second glance given.

Instead the man had added more wood to the fire, an indication that he intended to stay awake a while longer.

They hadn't discussed it, but Laxus had already known he would be standing look out first (for threats from both the outside and in,) so he stayed upright in front of the fire, wrapped in the big blanket the girl had gotten for him, and prepared for a long night.

"You're very vigilant." The man's voice was soft; quiet enough to not disturb those sleeping around them.

The lightning mage had given him a cool look.

"I'm the leader; their safety is my responsibility."

Which was _true_ , but also not entirely accurate. He trusted them to be able to take care of themselves; he just preferred being the first one to know of any danger.

"Good man." The stranger's voice was approving. "Never know when something could happen."

Laxus frowned. Was that a threat? It didn't really _sound_ like it, not judging by his tone, but this guy had been weirding him out all night with how little his words and tone seemed to match up.

"I used to try staying up all night to watch Evee but," He motioned towards his sleeping daughter and then chuckled lightly. "That girl needs no one's help."

The teen shifted, not knowing what to say, and the man continued.

"She's as tough as nails and has a tongue that's even sharper, but she's a good kid. Fiercely loyal to those she chooses because she's more stubborn than a mule."

He smiled at the sleeping bundle fondly.

"She's going to be one hell of a mage someday."

Laxus wasn't one for word games, or drawing things out. He liked straightforward action; so he gave the man a direct look and said, "What's your point?"

The man's smile turned a little sad.

"I'd like you to take Ever with you to your Guild."

"What?!"

Despite his annoyance he kept his voice low so as not to wake the others.

"Listen up kid," He spoke with a gentle voice but his tone was strong. "Only 10% of the population has the ability to become a mage...only 6% of that has a secondary form of magic, like your two friends."

Laxus' frown deepened; just how had this old guy known about Bixlow and Freed's secondary magic?

"But only 0.005% of _that_ have a _third_ form, and Ever does."

Okay, that was...maybe a _little_ impressive. But so what? He still wasn't a damn babysitter!

"Additionally," The man smiled slightly as he shot the sleeping girl another look. "Evee has loved fairies her whole life, so much that she refused to do magic unless it was "worthy of a fairy."

He chuckled and looked back to the fire.

"What I'm trying to say is, Evergreen has _forced_ her own magical potential into its current form instead of letting it grow and develop naturally. This has...put limitations on her that she doesn't realize or understand yet."

The faint smile faded and he gave Laxus a look the younger man couldn't define. Sadness, and fear, and maybe worry?

"If she ever gets over those unconscious limiters she'll get even _more_ powerful; and that's not even taking into account "second origin."

The teen frowned again.

"What's "second origin?" He asked suspiciously, but the man merely waved his hand.

"Don't worry about that kid, you're all still a long way from unlocking that kind of potential."

Offended, (because who did this old guy think he was?!) he opened his mouth to object, but the man quickly went on.

"My point is, you said you're the strongest team in your Guild, right? Then _take Ever_. She's only fourteen and can use more than two types of magic. She's also strong physically, and smart. Good in a fight. Don't look down on her just because she's a girl."

A hint of his smile returned.

"She'll end up kicking your ass if you do."

Laxus crossed his arms over his chest.

He didn't like being told what to do, or even pressured in any direction, and he _definitely_ didn't like the idea of some _kid_ hanging onto him everywhere he went, (never mind that Freed and Bix already did and they were only a year or two older than her.)

"Test her kid." The man said gently. "Let her take on either of your mates, or even _both_ of them. I know my girl; she won't lose easily to anyone."

He didn't like it...but he was maaaaaybe just a _tiny_ bit curious to see if the girl could back up her father's claims.

"Why don't _you_ take her to the Guild if she wants to join so bad?" He asked. He refused to think of his tone as being sullen.

The man sighed.

"I...I'm not sure I've got time."

He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to study his clasped hands in front of the fire.

"I'm dying kid. She knows, but she wouldn't let me leave her behind...I just, I want her to go somewhere she'll be _needed_."

That seemed like a strange thing…

"Shouldn't you want her to go somewhere _safe_?"

Wasn't that what _normal_ parents wanted for their kids? Sure, _his_ dad always pushed him into dangerous situations; but that's because he was trying to make Laxus _strong_. He always said so.

"Heh." The man didn't look up but his smile was back full force. "Tell me _one person_ who lived a life of "safety" and felt fulfilled. Ever's got a fire in her; an unquenchable flame. She doesn't _want_ or _need_ to be _safe_."

Feeling oddly inspired by the man's unusual philosophy he decided to give her a chance.

"Okay. _If_ she can get a hit on either Freed or Bixlow she can join us. We'll take her to Fairy Tail and let her stay on our team."

He gave the strange man another look.

"Aren't you worried that we could be like, a guild of outlaws or something? You'd really let her join just cause she likes our _name_?"

The man chuckled again and began banking the flames.

"Nobody _lets_ that girl do anything; I don't control her, and you won't either. I'm just letting you know in advanced...if you want her to listen to your orders you gotta prove you're more than just talk."

Laxus harrumphed. Like he'd let some _kid_ disrespect him like that...Natsu didn't count; he was crazy and thought he had been brought up by _dragons_.

"But," The man's tone was gentle and he glanced once more at the sleeping girl. "Once you have her loyalty, it'll be with you to the day she dies."

The dragon slayer didn't discount the idea that the man could just be talking up his daughter's skill so they would take her with them; but some instinct told him he really meant it…

* * *

"Listen," After his two teammates had gotten up that morning and done their business in the woods their leader had pulled them aside. "That guy thinks we should take her to Fairy Tail."

Freed blinked his surprise, but waited to hear what he had decided.

Bixlow made a low sound of derision.

"Why the hell would we do _that_ man?"

Laxus shrugged a little uncomfortably; he was a bit embarrassed about what he had agreed to last night, but it was too late to take it back. "Never go back on your word" was one of grandpa's most cherished laws.

"I told him we'd test her," An idea suddenly popped up. "To repay him for letting us stay last night."

Though...now that he had said it out loud it occurred to him that it _may_ indeed have been what the old guy was hinting at last night when he spoke of recompense.

"Test?" The seith mage frowned. "What kinda test?"

"Nothing fancy." Laxus assured him. "If she can land a hit on either of you we'll take her home."

Bixlow snorted to show what he thought of the girl's chances, but Freed just nodded, unphased.

"How serious are you about this?" He asked and Laxus knew what he meant. Did he want them to go easy on her…

The thing was, he had spent a lot of time last night thinking about it; multiple kinds of magic _were_ rare, and if the girl could really do what her parent had claimed then she would be a good addition to any guild. But even if it were true, someone with talent but no desire to improve would be a waste...she had said she wanted to join, but how much did it really matter to her?

Only one way to tell.

If she put up a really good fight, as her father had claimed she would, he might just allow her to join anyway.

"Let's see how much she wants it." He said quietly to them. "Don't hurt her, but don't hold back."

Bixlow grinned, long tongue hanging out to show off his guild mark.

"Yes boss!" He practically sang.

"Of course." Freed gave him a little half bow (he had _finally_ gotten the script mage to stop bowing _completely_ , but the green haired teen just couldn't seem to let go of that part of his upbringing.)

Across from them the dragon slayer could clearly hear her father explaining the situation to her as well; the girl didn't say anything, he just saw her nod from the corner of his eye and go back to breaking down their camp.

Huh...maybe she really _didn't_ care…

* * *

When all their belongings had been cleaned and stored, and the last of the surprisingly filling breakfast had been eaten she approached them.

"I want to join Fairy Tail." She said without preamble.

Laxus gave an acknowledging nod to the statement.

"We'll have to test you first."

Flipping her thick hair back off her shoulder she gave a nod back. Her head didn't go even an _inch_ lower than his had. She was either really arrogant, or really worried. He knew which one he'd place his bet on.

"I got it. I have to beat your guys."

Bixlow bristled a little and even Freed shifted, but their leader was beginning to understand this girl and her overbearing attitude; she was asking them to let her join, and that put her in a position of weakness. To her way of thinking she couldn't _afford_ to appear weak in front of them.

"You only have to get a hit in on _one_ of them." Laxus explained coolly. "Not both, but be careful who you chose to go after."

The girl smirked confidently.

"I'll hit them both." She tossed her hair over her shoulder again. "Don't underestimate me!"

The teen shook his head, almost disappointed; she was the one underestimating her opponents. His friends wouldn't hold back (as he had instructed them not to;) it was almost a _shame_ that someone with potential would lose here. But she was about to get schooled.

His teammates parted and walked to either side of the clearing. It wasn't quite a pincer formation as the girl had observed their movements and took up a position further back...the three made a triangle now and he had to admit it wasn't a bad strategy. She'd have room to move, though that wouldn't help her against the other mages as they were ranged...

"Go!"

To his genuine surprise wings -honest to God _wings_!- sprouted from her back and the girl took to the air so fast he almost didn't see her. She went for Bixlow first and as she flung a hand out at the seith mage a dozen or more greenish gold lights bolted down towards him. He moved back but where every bolt hit they realized a _needle_ had been left behind and all three Fairy Tail mages frowned in comprehension.

She had either used maker magic, or equip magic to leave an actual _physical_ presence behind. Combined with the magic she had performed last night (making it explode,) that really was two _separate_ types...adding in the ability to fly, that was three. The old man hadn't been exaggerating in saying his daughter was powerful.

Bix had dodged all the needles though and he was already putting his hand forward to have his free floating souls attack...and the girl threw an explosion behind him. The seith mage ducked, thinking she had just missed, and then swore as he realized a _fucking tree_ was now falling towards him!

He had to dodge again to the side, which meant taking his eyes off his opponent...and the girl dive bombed down to tap him on the head.

' _Holy shit_.' Laxus thought. The match hadn't even been going thirty seconds and she had won.

But she wasn't done; immediately she flew in an arc, headed for Freed who had his sword up and ready.

The script mage wouldn't be as easy to fool. He was always more on guard than the taller boy and-

The leader blinked and gaped at his friend...who was now a stone statue.

Smirking arrogantly the girl landed and walked forward nonchalantly. Then she tapped the other teen on the chest and he was suddenly back to normal.

"I win."

"Holy shit." He heard Bixlow breath out. He agreed; this kid was _something else_!

He couldn't help but shoot a look over at her father who was watching her with a sad smile on his face. Before the lightning mage could look away the man met his eyes and then nodded slightly.

"W-What happened?" He heard Freed say, his tone bewildered.

"I won." To her credit the girl didn't rub it in their faces, she just turned to Laxus and said, "Can I join Fairy Tail now?"

Well a deal was a deal, and he had to honor it, as grandpa was always saying. And...it might not be so bad to have a-a _powerhouse_ like her around. Seriously, holy shit.

"Yeah, I guess so." He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. "But you'll have to wait until we get to the Guild to be made official."

"Damn kid!" Bixlow said, walking up from behind her. "You sure know how to move. I've never seen anybody else fly like that."

True to his character Bixlow tended to _like_ people who could take him on; the girl's attitude so far had been off-putting to the tall teen, but her straight up skill was something to admire.

A pleased grin slipped onto her face though she tried to pretend it wasn't there.

"It's a magic fitting for a Fairy." She boasted.

"What happened?" Freed asked for a second time, sounded a little upset.

"She turned you into a statue man." Bix enjoyed telling him. "Just walked right up to you; at least she had to _try_ with me."

"You're wearing a mask." The girl corrected matter-of-fact. "I can only petrify someone if I'm looking into their eyes."

"Eye magic?" Freed sounded intrigued. "You have Eye magic too? So do we!"

Laxus missed the next thing they said because the girl's father had just made it to his side and he turned to the older man almost reluctantly.

"Listen kid," The man said in a soft tone. "I told you she has more than two types of magic last night."

Yeah he had, but now that he thought about it, Laxus realized he hadn't said "three," he has said "more." He'd never even _heard_ of someone with four different types of magic!

"For Ever, anything she thinks a "fairy" can do is what form she forces her magic to take. For _her_ , the bombs, needles, and flying are just one type of magic because that's how she views it. She doesn't understand that she's basically doing something _impossible_."

His voice was exasperated but had an undertone of pride that Laxus sometimes heard when grandpa was talking about _him_.

"I'm telling you this because it's possible, in the future, that she'll add _more_ to her "Fairy magic." Like I said, she's got unconscious limiters, but someday she might break past those."

The man suddenly swallowed harshly and for the first time the teen could see the trepidation he must have been hiding.

"I just...need to know she'll be with people who will understand her; who will watch out for her. She doesn't need to be taken care of, but she needs people who...won't be afraid of her."

He looked into the mage's eyes and his expression became haunted.

"She's more powerful than I can even imagine, and people are scared of what they can't understand. Promise me," He suddenly reached out and grabbed the front of Laxus' shirt. " _Promise me_ that you'll stick with her!" He demanded.

Laxus didn't like being told what to do...but he also knew what it was like to be feared because he was powerful; maybe it was sentimental, or maybe it stemmed from the genuine respect he had started to have for the girl herself...whatever the cause, he didn't pull away like he normally would have. He nodded to show he understood -in more ways than one- and the man dropped his hand with a sound of relief.

"Thank you."

The man walked to her and he watched as her father touched her shoulder gently to get her attention. The girl smirked up at him and -when prompted- gave a high five.

"Good job Evee." He said warmly.

Pink may have entered her cheeks but the fairy mage merely tossed her head arrogantly.

"Of course!"

But then she looked at him and Laxus could see as her face paled and her expression froze on her face; she was smart enough to understand that this meant she would be parting with her father now.

"I'm going to be a Fairy mage." She said softly, ignoring the other teens. "Be prepared to hear all about the Fairy Queen, 'cause I'll be famous before you know it."

Her father gave her a full, proud smile.

"I don't doubt it." He touched her hand and then pulled her into a hug. "You'll amaze everyone you meet."

Laxus, and probably the others too, didn't fail to notice how her hands clenched suddenly at her side before she lifted them to return the hug. Her expression didn't change but somehow she looked different; it took him a second to realize it was because she _had_ no expression. A stone statue would have more emotion on its face.

He remembered what her father had said the night before, "I'm dying, she knows but wouldn't let me leave her behind."

For Evergreen, who had already shown how intelligent she was, she would understand...this was a last goodbye.

The man put his cheek against her hair and held her to him tightly for a moment in silence.

Then he looked over her head and right into the lightning mage's eyes.

"Take care of my girl."

Laxus nodded his consent again to reassure him.

"We will."

Freed and Bixlow both looked at him but he ignored them.

Their new teammate and her father held each other for another long moment and then they both drew back.

"Keep your eyes open and your guard up-"

"-Until you know for sure. I remember." The girl kissed her father's cheek tenderly and there was almost a sparkle of tears but he reached up discreetly to wipe them away before they became noticeable.

"Say hi to mom for me."

He swallowed hard.

"I will, my girl." He looked at her and the heartbreak on his face made Laxus turn away uncomfortably; this was a very private moment and he didn't think she would want anyone else to witness it.

"You're going to take the world by storm. I love you." He murmured and then the dragon slayer heard the rustle of movement as they began moving towards him.

Freed and Bixlow, (also realizing that this wasn't something they should be watching,) had already come to stand at either shoulder, like they usually did.

Now Evergreen joined them; she stood at the leader's side, her face still expressionless.

The man continued past them, turning to wave at her but not stopping or speaking again.

Suddenly curious the lightning mage found himself saying, "Don't you want to go with him? You won't see him again, you know."

His friend's made barely audible sounds of confusion. The girl shook her head but he saw her swallow.

"He's going to my mother's grave; that's his final destination and...I don't want to be there for the end of his journey."

Suddenly though her expression fractured a bit and her vulnerability shone through.

"It's easier to pretend he's still out there…" She whispered in a small, lost voice.

"Vulnerable" was not something he dealt with often; he, and Freed, and Bixlow were all tough. They had to be because each of them had dealt with shit that would make adults go screaming in circles...but it was also because they had all had things in their pasts...that he had a particular weakness for people trying to tough it out while also trying not to break.

So he put one hand on her shoulder, the same way he would do with either of his teammates if it were them, and pulled her into his side in the parody of a hug.

"It's okay kid. We get it."

She froze and he figured she wasn't used to contact much...or maybe it was just because he was still practically a stranger-

-and then she turned into his side and wrapped her arms around him, her whole petite frame shaking.

Laxus grimaced -because this was _not_ what he had intended!- but he had invited her to share her pain, so he couldn't really complain when she did. He didn't look up because he didn't want to know what kind of expressions his friends must be wearing.

Awkwardly he pat her back.

"He's my only family _left_!" She choked into his shirt. "I'm going to be _alone_!"

The lightning mage almost jumped when Freed's hand came into view; he placed it on one of her shaking shoulders.

"No," The teen's voice was gentle. "You're not alone. _We're_ with you."

Bixlow's hand joined them on her other shoulder.

" _We're_ your family now kid."

They couldn't have known the man was dying before, but her breakdown would have made it clear to them…

For himself, Laxus was stuck with an emotional dilemma.

None of them allowed themselves to be "vulnerable" all that often, but when they _did_ it was always just between the three of them, and silently understood that it wasn't something others needed to know about.

Quite suddenly it seemed as though their trio had become a quartet and he wasn't sure if the girl- no, _Evergreen_ \- if she was up to the task. He hadn't thought about the fact that by inviting her in he had pretty much consigned them to having a new member in their extremely private circle. He wasn't sure he was comfortable with letting someone else get that close; especially because they all knew pretty much nothing about her.

The fairy mage inhaled deeply and he felt her straighten her shoulders before she began gently pulling back. The others let their hands fall, but remained close enough to give further support.

"You, uh...you okay now?" Laxus asked her uncomfortably.

She looked up at him -at _them_ \- and then smiled suddenly; it was shocking the change it made on her face. She looked very soft and feminine right then.

"You're not very good at this, are you?" She actually sounded amused; then she inhaled deeply again and pulled completely away from his side. "No, I'm not really "okay," but I'll get better."

A hint of steel entered both her eyes and her voice. "I won't lose so easily."

Man, this mission had _completely_ gone off the rails. He hadn't expected to meet someone new for the guild, and _definitely_ not someone who would be joining his own exclusive group -but her actions had soothed his discomfort considerably.

They weren't going to be stuck with a weepy girl who needed them for emotional support all the time. Her dad had been right -Evergreen was tougher than nails and twice as sharp.

"Alright then," His voice turned brisk because they were going back to business. "We've still got a job to complete. Freed, Bixlow, and I are used to fighting together so you'll be on the sidelines Evee-"

"Only my dad calls me that." She interrupted firmly. He got the impression she wanted to _keep_ that name special.

"Okay Ever." He switched easily. "It'll be best if you start to learn our fighting styles, so we can incorporate you into it."

She nodded sharply, her expression already settling back into the cool one from last night.

"What's the job?"

Freed jumped in to begin telling her and Laxus let him; with a jerky motion he indicated they should walk while they talk and Evergreen kept pace easily, her face intent as she listened to her new teammate.

"So boss," Bixlow's voice was quiet but his tone was teasing. "Looks like we got a little sister all of a sudden."

The seith mage had once made a joke about them being closer than brothers...which, unbeknownst to them at the time, had been something which Freed had deeply longed for. When the green haired teen had broken down about it, it had come tumbling out into the open how very important their friendship was to him...which had led to Bix crying about the same thing...which had led to _him_ -

Well, anyway...despite the intensity of the emotions the phrase had caused at the time, it was now something of a private joke between them.

Other guild members were always blathering on about how being in the Guild meant they were all family -but for the three of them, they were all each other needed.

So now they had a little sister.

Geez.

The dragon slayer ran a hand through his hair; nothing was going how he thought it would.

"Looks like." In a rare moment of humility he mumbled, "Sorry. I should have talked to you guys first."

"Nah." The taller teen glanced back at the others. "She reminds me of you."

"Me?" He repeated, bewildered. " _How_?"

Bix shrugged.

"Her soul. It's all tattered up, but still going strong. I like her."

It didn't need to be said that he didn't _like_ that many people.

"She's gonna fit in with us fine, you'll see boss."

Laxus gave his friend a bemused look; Bix did that sometimes, made comments about the state of people's souls and then predictions about them...he was almost always right. None of them would call it clairvoyant, but it made his little statements easier to believe.

The lightning mage shot his own glance back at the two; Evergreen was pointedly asking questions about the details of their mission, and Freed was answering them with a look of mild pleasure. He didn't usually get to discuss strategy that didn't involve "go in and beat the enemy senseless."

"Yeah…" Laxus blinked in surprise as the word slipped out of his mouth, but finished the thought with an unusual feeling of satisfaction. "I think she will."

* * *

End notes: You may have noticed I never gave Evergreen's dad a description; that was intentional and I hope it didn't detract from the plot.

I have seen Bixlow's name spelled in more than one way, but this is the one I like so this is the one I chose.

Evergreen is fourteen (as stated) Freed is fifteen, Bixlow sixteen, and Laxus seventeen.

I always thought it was weird that Evergreen was obsessed with fairies and she just happened to get "fairy" magic? We know that not all magic is hereditary, (Gray learned from Ur to whom he had no relation -it seems beyond coincidental that he would just _happen_ to be an ice mage too, don't you think?) which leads me to think that magic can be manipulated into a form that the user desires...I also acknowledge that I am probably overthinking, but that is one of my pleasures in life so I will continue to do so. Anyway, the idea that Evergreen had forced her own magic into a shape that she wanted -"fairy" magic- made a lot more sense to me, and furthered my belief that she is super kick ass and was totally underrated the entire series.

Reviews are the lifeblood of an author. Please let me know if you'd like to see this story continue.


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